10 years after Joan Rivers’ death, the red carpet she pioneered is a pitiful mess

Can we talk? 

Say what you will about Joan Rivers, the legendary New York comedienne who died 10 years ago today at age 81, but her signature catchphrase was far from misleading. 

Joan could talk — ingeniously, loudly, viciously and off the cuff. 

She talked about her bad luck in the bedroom, about plastic surgery, about Heidi Abromowitz’s fictional sexcapades, about Elizabeth Taylor’s weight. 

The outrageous comic was not a devotee of the awkward pause. Rather, she thrived on in-your-face confrontation and pushing the limits of what’s considered offensive. With feeling.

Rivers was a forever outsider who snuck into the party through the back door and barreled straight for the bar.